Central College will hold graduation ceremonies for 308 seniors May 17. The baccalaureate service, a gathering of the class, will begin in Douwstra Auditorium at 10 a.m. The commencement ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. in H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse.
During baccalaureate, featured speakers Anne Petrie, class dean and professor of music, and Mark Putnam, Central College president, will address the class of 2014.
Larry A. Braskamp will speak at commencement. He also will receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, during the ceremony.
A 1963 Central graduate, Braskamp earned his Ph.D. degree from the University of Iowa, with a dual focus on student learning and development and statistics. He was a faculty member at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and held administrative positions as dean of applied life studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and dean of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He served as the senior vice president for academic affairs at Loyola University Chicago.
Braskamp is a coauthor of more than 100 publications and seven books, including “Assessing Faculty Work” and “Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully” and the survey instrument, Global Perspective Inventory.
Currently he is president of the Global Perspective Institute and consults with a number of colleges, universities and other organizations that are committed to assisting students in becoming global citizens. This mission parallels Central’s commitment to global experiential learning. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Central’s study abroad programs, which will be celebrated during the “Year of Global Citizenship.”
“Larry is the kind of educator people look to because of the breadth and range of his experience, his insightful analysis and impactful leadership,” said Putnam. “He is a profoundly strong example to our graduates, illustrating a lifetime of commitment to global experiential learning and the importance of understanding the ‘other.’”
Braskamp is married to 1964 Central graduate Judith Kolenbrander and enjoys being a grandfather of three grandchildren.
At commencement, the Chamber Singers—an 18-member chorale ensemble chosen from the larger A Cappella Choir—will perform “Hymn to Central Youth” and “The Lord Bless You.”
Watch the Central College baccalaureate and commencement ceremonies streamed live online.
